![Incapable de trouver la solution dans le temps réglementaire, l'équipe de France s'en était remise à Laurent Blanc, décisif en inscrivant le but en or lors des prolongations (1-0, 114e). [PASCAL GEORGE / AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/151718958/a88ee437eb5b7023a170bbc90100247e76dff1e1c15ff2906dd44265388069bb)
![Sans convaincre dans le jeu, l'Argentine a assuré l'essentiel. [© Jose Breton / Spain DPPI / DPPI via AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/151821907/cd3491f566dfc8260594fb2c377c2f2c82998eb52652ad22b1c50566c577d94b)
![Les hommes de Fabien Galthié peuvent nourrir des regrets. [© Sanka VIDANAGAMA / AFP]](/cdn-cgi/image/onerror=redirect,width=640,height=640,format=webp/https://storage.googleapis.com/uploads.mongoosehq.com/url/media/151860834/bcde8f144a1c7b83ad875f8296f3d861ddc9670933793d2ecf253368881cca92)
Overview
- France will play Paraguay in the World Cup last 16 in Philadelphia with kickoff at 23:00 French time on Saturday, a match widely tipped to favour the Bleus.
- Aurélien Tchouaméni was ruled out with a thigh/adductor problem and Manu Koné is expected to start alongside Adrien Rabiot in a Koné–Rabiot double pivot.
- France arrive as heavy favourites thanks to a prolific front three led by Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé after a 3-0 win over Sweden and three group wins.
- Paraguay reached the last 16 by eliminating Germany on penalties and will rely on a compact, physical defence and goalkeeper Orlando Gill but may be short on freshness after 120 minutes plus a shootout.
- Match factors to watch include a forecasted heat of about 36°C with possible storms, FIFA-appointed referee Ilgiz Tantashev's relatively limited World Cup pedigree, and the winner meeting Morocco or Canada in the quarter-finals.